Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy (Big Words)

As with these collaborators' Lady Liberty, the striking cover of this picture-book biography features a closeup portrait of the subject, all the more compelling in this instance with the omission of any type. In her signature succinct style, Rappaport fuses facts about Kennedy's personal and public lives with quotations from his writings and speeches. The author credits the 35th president for such achievements as establishing the Peace Corps and negotiating the first major weapons test-ban treaty with the Soviet Union, yet asserts, "not all of Kennedy's decisions were wise." She calls the U.S.'s 1961 invasion of Cuba "a disaster" and notes that, while violence erupted in the South as blacks protested for equal rights, Kennedy worried that he would alienate white Southern lawmakers. "For two years he hesitated," before "he took a firm stand and called for new laws protecting black Americans." Tavares's light- and shadow-infused paintings balance lifelike portrayals of Kennedy with renderings of dramatic events, notably a Japanese destroyer ramming Kennedy's PT boat during WWII and the planting of the American flag on the moon. An evenhanded, graphically stirring biography. Ages 58. (Oct.) Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 2-5--This biographical sketch thoughtfully and respectfully highlights Kennedy's life from his young adulthood through his presidency. He is first seen as a teenager reading at his family's oceanfront home in Hyannis Port, MA. While his father encouraged competition among his children, young JFK couldn't help but feel he was constantly in the shadow of his older brother, Joe. But when Joe tragically died in a plane explosion, pressure was put on Jack to follow in his shoes. Through lyrical prose, Rappaport has created a moving portrait of a beloved political figure in the same vein as Eleanor, Quiet No More (2009) and Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2001, both Hyperion). Her descriptive narration is spiced with memorable quotations and Tavares's larger-than-life illustrations. The realistic paintings portray the different periods in JFK's life with depth and detail, capturing his emotions, courage, and sovereignty while remaining true to this unique time in history. The book concludes with author and illustrator notes. This beautifully illustrated and gracefully told story serves as a superior introduction to our 35th president.--Janet Weber, Tigard Public Library, OR

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

As with these collaborators' Lady Liberty, the striking cover of this picture-book biography features a closeup portrait of the subject, all the more compelling in this instance with the omission of any type. In her signature succinct style, Rappaport fuses facts about Kennedy's personal and public lives with quotations from his writings and speeches. The author credits the 35th president for such achievements as establishing the Peace Corps and negotiating the first major weapons test-ban treaty with the Soviet Union, yet asserts, "not all of Kennedy's decisions were wise." She calls the U.S.'s 1961 invasion of Cuba "a disaster" and notes that, while violence erupted in the South as blacks protested for equal rights, Kennedy worried that he would alienate white Southern lawmakers. "For two years he hesitated," before "he took a firm stand and called for new laws protecting black Americans." Tavares's light- and shadow-infused paintings balance lifelike portrayals of Kennedy with renderings of dramatic events, notably a Japanese destroyer ramming Kennedy's PT boat during WWII and the planting of the American flag on the moon. An evenhanded, graphically stirring biography. PW"